Mobile Banking Updates - July 19

PNC Hints at Mobile Check Deposits for Android App by November
"PNC Bank (NYSE: PNC) customers with Android smartphones may have a reason to rejoice as the Pittsburgh-based bank plans a new application and enhanced features for Google’s mobile platform. Customers have left generally negative reviews and complained about PNC’s lackluster Android mobile banking application, which resembles a browser that directs to the mobile version of the bank’s website. Meanwhile, the PNC Mobile Banking and Virtual Wallet by PNC apps for Apple iOS devices are full-fledged apps that even offer the convenience of a mobile check deposit feature."

Location, coupons and mobile banking are Nokia's strategic services
"We’ve all been rather blunt in writing Nokia off given their consistent drop in marketshare and inability to develop a presence in America. The company however has been slowly developing a strategy to regain its relevance. Despite the rise of Android and lesser known brands in India, Symbian holds close to 70% of the market (as of June 2011). Services built around mobile are becoming a differentiating factor for OEMs and Nokia has found three key services to focus on."

Commonwealth Bank rolls out new mobile, tablet apps
"The Commonwealth Bank today rolled out a suite of new mobile banking applications including NetBank for iPad and Android tablets, and a new CommBank mobile banking app for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 7 smartphone platforms.

Citing a growing demand for mobile banking, the Commonwealth Bank says the apps focus on three key areas: simplicity, security and convenience. It said most of its users use mobile banking to check their balances, pay bills and view recent transactions and that the app caters foremost for these needs."

mFoundry Launches Columbia CU Mobile
"mFoundry, the fastest-growing mobile banking company in the U.S., today announced Columbia Credit Union, based in Vancouver, Washington, is the latest credit union to deploy mBanking, mFoundry's SaaS-based mobile banking platform.
The new Columbia CU Mobile offering leverages mFoundry's multi-mode mobile banking solution, providing Columbia Credit Union members with mobile Web, mobile apps and text banking options. Columbia CU's mobile banking applications include versions for Apple iPhone, Google Android and RIM BlackBerry devices."

A different mobile banking world
"The world of mobile financial services here in the UK is coming on leaps and bounds following recent announcements from Orange and Barclaycard, and also from O2 to bring mobile contactless applications to the masses. However, having reviewed the market in the Middle East recently, I realised that although perceived as a region full of wealth and driven by innovation, the mobile banking landscape there is worlds apart from the one people would envisage."

Mobile banking is hot in Canada
"According to the report by Toronto-based Solutions Research Group (SRG), over 2.5 million Canadians are accessing mobile banking. This represents more than a third of smartphone users with data plans. This means that, effectively, at least one in three eligible Canadians are accessing mobile banking. SRG found that most mobile bankers are male iPhone users.

This is impressive given that the first mobile bank app launched just 14 months ago. Banking apps have already surpassed news and entertainment apps, including music and video. Many of these applications have been around for almost ten years, and all were in play in 2007 when the first iPhone was introduced."